


What's in a Name?

by Xiantha



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:11:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1200826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xiantha/pseuds/Xiantha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles has never heard his name spoken aloud, and to be honest, he had more things on his mind now. But in his last moments, he remembers something his mother told him about names.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's in a Name?

When Stiles was five, he sat on his mother’s knee and asked while she never called him by his birth name. He knew she could say it, she’d told him as much. But he’d never heard her mouth wrap around the many syllables.

 

He’d never heard it said, only guessing at the pronunciation in his head. 

 

“Stiles, names are the most powerful thing in this world. It might seem strange to you now, but one day you’ll understand. You’ll know the power that keeping your name hidden gives you, and you’ll be able to harness that power when the time is right.” She kissed him on his forehead and he squirmed away, distracted by the television now the adverts had ended.

 

When his mother died five years later, he still hadn’t heard his name from her lips. Since his father had never really mastered Polish, and his mother was the last alive in her family, he assumed that he’d never hear it. The issue of his name was soon forgotten between his father’s increased drinking, his growing crush on Lydia, and later, the fact that his best friend got hairy once a month.

 

Now, fighting against the Nogitsune, against himself, his mother’s words echoed in his head.

 

_“Names are the most powerful thing in the world.”_

 

The Oni were approaching him, weapons in hand. The Nogitsune was silent, letting the innocent man fall at his enemies’ hands with no say in it. Stiles assumed that once he was gone, it would move onto a more powerful host. One human life was nothing to him. The werewolves, Lydia, Alison and father, had all been tricked out into the forest, believing that’s where he’d sleepwalked to now. In reality, he was stood alone, in the basement of Beacon Hills Hospital, resigned to his fate.

 

He felt silly for trying it, but what else was there? He summoned what he thought would be his last breath, watching the blades be lifted, and yelled out his name.

 

The pronunciation was garbled, only a guess at what it should really sound like. But they stopped. The Oni stared at him, firefly eyes flashing. He said it again, this time only a whisper. Then;

 

“That’s my true name. Please.” And then suddenly, he felt a shift, deep within his chest. The heaviness that had accompanied the Nogitsune’s arrival lifted, and he could feel himself being released, the Oni watching as the shadow rose up and disappeared into the darkness of the room. Moving swift, they grabbed Stiles’ head, and all went black. 

* * *

 

When he awoke, Scott and Lydia were next to him. Derek stood backlit in the doorway. They all kept their distance; something he was used to now. They had no idea which Stiles they were dealing with. 

 

“It’s gone. I don’t know - It went. The Oni left me here.” Then, with a start, he remembered what they’d done before they left. He reached behind his ear, feeling the same mark that so many of his friends had. Scott turned his head further, so he could see it as well, then, satisfied that at least this part of the saga was over, pulled his best friend into a tight hug. Stiles couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Lydia tear up a little. And Derek? Well, all he got from Derek was a pat on the back and a lift home. But that spoke volumes. 

 

As for his true name; he chose to keep that hidden for a little longer. Now that he’d experience for himself the power of true names, maybe this would prove to be a useful weapon again in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> My first work for the Teen Wolf fandom, and the first thing I've posted in a long time! 
> 
> Written quickly before tonight's episode, mostly inspired by 'The Shakespeare Code' episode of Doctor Who, and conversations on Tumblr.


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